Twinkie Defense, Step Aside: Caffeine Defense

*nismaratwork*

I must admit, that this surprised me. I you're wrecked on meth or cocaine and kill someone, its still murder,m but somehow this is a defense being offered in a court of law: http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/20...ffeine/?hpt=T2

Twinkie defense, meet Caffeine (and sleep dep) defense.

cronxeh

Pfft.. you know how many people died because I didn't get my morning coffee?

Hurkyl

Temporary insanity isn't a particularly new defense.

Ivan Seeking

Quote by Hurkyl

Temporary insanity isn't a particularly new defense.

Heck, I've been using it for years.

DR13

This is rediculous. Please, jury, dont be stupid

Ivan Seeking

Is is possible that some people could be susceptible to various drugs in this way - that sugar really can drive a few people in a mllion, to murder; for others, it's caffeine, and maybe MSG or peanuts for others?

Can allergies drive a person into a state of temporary insanity?

Evo

Oh please. Too much caffeine?

DR13

Quote by Ivan Seeking

Is it possible that some people could be susceptible to various drugs in this way - that sugar really can drive a few people in a mllion, to murder; for others, it's caffeine, and maybe MSG or peanuts for others?

I really hope you're kidding. If this was true many, many more people would be murdering.

Evo

Quote by DR13

I really hope you're kidding. If this was true many, many more people would be murdering.

Maybe they are but they don't have a coniving lawyer drumming up a bogus defense for them.

Ivan Seeking

Quote by DR13

I really hope you're kidding. If this was true many, many more people would be murdering.

Not necessarily. I'm not saying such a thing is possible, but, if it is, then it might be a matter of circumstance - perhaps a trigger of some sort is needed, perhaps an emotional trigger. We would have to know if and how such a thing is possible in order to speculate on the specifics.

Beyond that, if it is possible, perhaps this could explain some percentage of existing convictions. We can't assume it doesn't happen in order to conclude that it can't.

Ivan Seeking

From my point of view, a child's rage is a form of temporary insanity. I don't know the current thinking, but the last time I checked, feeding a kid sugar was considered a good way to trigger a problem.

Ivan Seeking

Caffeine intoxication

Main symptoms of caffeine intoxication.[77]An acute overdose of caffeine usually in excess of about 300 milligrams, dependent on body weight and level of caffeine tolerance, can result in a state of central nervous system over-stimulation called caffeine intoxication (DSM-IV 305.90),[101

In cases of much larger overdoses, mania, depression, lapses in judgment, disorientation, disinhibition, delusions, hallucinations, and psychosis may occur, and rhabdomyolysis (breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue) can be provoked.[102][103]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine

Evo

Quote by Ivan Seeking

From my point of view, a child's rage is a form of temporary insanity. I don't know the current thinking, but the last time I checked, feeding a kid sugar was considered a good way to trigger a problem.

I've also seen studies where half of the children were given sugar and half were given a placebo, and the parents observed "sugar induced hyperactivity" in as many or more of the placebo fed children.

The children, parents and researchers involved in the studies never knew which children were given which diets (this is known as a "double-blind" study and helps to prevent unconscious biases from affecting the results).

An analysis of the results of all these studies was published in the November 22, 1995, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The researchers' conclusions? Sugar in the diet did not affect the children's behavior.

http://edition.cnn.com/HEALTH/childr...myth.kids.wmd/

Evo

Quote by Ivan Seeking

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine

But the article also states that he'd need to ingest, in a relatively short timeframe

roughly 80 to 100 cups of coffee for an average adult taken within a limited time frame

If he indeed had an overdose this significant, he'd likely have ended up in the ER. I didn't read that he was actually tested to have had an overdose or that was treated medically. I'm wondering if there is another article that shows there is medical evidence that backs up this guy had such a an overdose at the time of the murder and that backs up his lawyer's claim?

turbo

There's a wrinkle in this story. Smith's lawyer initially wanted to rely on a temporary insanity plea (citing the high caffeine use), but now he is saying that Smith's confession is inadmissible because Smith was "out of it" due to sleep deprivation cause by caffeine use.

Topher925

Quote by cronxeh

pfft.. You know how many people died because i didn't get my morning coffee?

7 ???

*Proton Soup*

caffeine itself, i'd say no. sleep deprivation could be a definite yes. modafinil can cause psychosis with no direct stimulation at all.

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nismaratwork	Twinkie Defense, Step Aside: Caffeine Defense Tweet I must admit, that this surprised me. I you're wrecked on meth or cocaine and kill someone, its still murder,m but somehow this is a defense being offered in a court of law: http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/20...ffeine/?hpt=T2 Twinkie defense, meet Caffeine (and sleep dep) defense.

cronxeh Recognitions: Gold Member	Pfft.. you know how many people died because I didn't get my morning coffee?

Hurkyl Recognitions: Gold Member Science Advisor Staff Emeritus	Temporary insanity isn't a particularly new defense.

Ivan Seeking Recognitions: Gold Member Science Advisor Staff Emeritus	Is is possible that some people could be susceptible to various drugs in this way - that sugar really can drive a few people in a mllion, to murder; for others, it's caffeine, and maybe MSG or peanuts for others? Can allergies drive a person into a state of temporary insanity?

Evo Mentor Blog Entries: 4	Oh please. Too much caffeine?

turbo Recognitions: Gold Member	There's a wrinkle in this story. Smith's lawyer initially wanted to rely on a temporary insanity plea (citing the high caffeine use), but now he is saying that Smith's confession is inadmissible because Smith was "out of it" due to sleep deprivation cause by caffeine use.

Proton Soup Blog Entries: 3	caffeine itself, i'd say no. sleep deprivation could be a definite yes. modafinil can cause psychosis with no direct stimulation at all.